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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26575885">No Straight Roads to Revolution</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunaru/pseuds/Lunaru'>Lunaru</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>No Straight Roads (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A timeline where May doesn't DIRECTLY start shit for once, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Maybe some fluff later, Probably more violence and death than I was hoping for but that's showbiz baby, Revolt, Slow Burn, bunkbedlovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26575885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunaru/pseuds/Lunaru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"May, the TV."</p><p>Onscreen was a shaky live recording, but it was better than standing on the roof and hoping to catch a glimpse from there. Viewed from the cockpit of one of NSR's own helicopters showed the scene unfolding within the height of the headquarters. Tatiana, the very head of the NSR, standing off with a figure equally as tall and much more vibrant. It was only a few slow moments, and then the recording came to an abrupt end as the screen became engulfed in the shockwave of a brutal explosion. Even from where they were in the sewers, May could hear it all too well. "That was Tatiana, but who was that other chick?" she asked, releasing the tension from her body that she didn't even know she had.</p><p>"That-... that was Eve."</p><p>Following the failure of their audition. Mayday and Zuke find themselves in a revolt against the NSR, this time one they didn't begin themselves. Just when they thought things were already bad, they find themselves in the center of it because of the very person who began it.<br/>Along the way though, Zuke begins to wonder just what he feels.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eve | Nadia &amp; Mayday (No Straight Roads), Eve | Nadia &amp; Zuke (No Straight Roads), Mayday &amp; Zuke (No Straight Roads), Mayday/Zuke (No Straight Roads)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>157</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Come Back Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> The audition had flopped horribly, and even when the audience that watched the entire spectacle didn't make a laughing stock of them as far as she could tell, something about it made May's blood boil. "Seriously? How could they think rock is over? If you ask me, rock is far from over," she complained aloud to her bandmate.</p><p> She had retreated to the confines of the sewer, so Zuke had no choice to follow her. "Maybe theres a reason behind why they did that? I'm sure there would be," he offered his best attempt at comforting his compadre's stewing thoughts.</p><p> "Yeah, and that reason's that they're losers! Ya hear me Zuke? Looooooooosers!" May yelled, tossing her head back so it rested on the back cushion. Rather than seeing the grungy ceiling, she was met with Zuke's tired eyes. "Maybe we can change what those NSR losers think about rock. We can put on a <em>real</em> show for them."</p><p> "I don't think we should go that far. It's not like we'll gain anything out of being one of the large artists of Vinyl City," Zuke reasoned, backing off and falling in to the couch beside May.</p><p> "You're right, we won't get much... except a BUTTLOAD OF CASH and FAME! Plus, the power around here has been really shoddy, I can swear on my life that nothing like that ever happened back when rock was the main showstopper."</p><p> "I guess you're right about the power, but I've been fine spending my days down here," Zuke gripped his upper arms with his hands, feeling himself slouch down as his fingers pressed in to his skin.</p><p> "Whose to say it's not home sweet home? Even when we're the hot topic we can still remain down here. It's just better off without the near frequent power outages, ya hear?"</p><p> </p><p> As if on cue, the lights over flickered briefly before things went black.</p><p> "Shit, Zuke? Can you find the flashlight? I'll load up whatever that crank-powered generator you brought here was," May stood up, feeling around with her hands. It'd take up to half an hour to adjust her eyes to the darkness, so for now she was as blind as a bat. She bumped against what she thought was a pipe at first, but upon grabbing the end of his shirt, she realized was instead Zuke. She recoiled her arm, "Aye sorry!" she called out in to the inky darkness as she stumbled back and turned around.</p><p> She found herself in a corner, tracing her hands over the walls for a catch in them, a shelf maybe, but before she could the blinding light of Zuke's flashlight impaled her surroundings- and her vision. "Gee do you gotta shine that dumb thing directly on me?" she asked, lifting one hand to shield her eyes.</p><p> "Sorry, didn't even know you were there," Zuke apologized, diverting the flashlight's aim away from his bandmate.</p><p> Where Mayday had ended up wasn't too far from the generator, but to say she had gotten close would be too generous. Getting back to her feet and brushing dirt particulates from her skirt, she picked up the generator by the handle and dragged it out from its place along the wall. The wire hanging from it ran under a crack where the wall met the floor, to where May assumed rigged it up to the power in the sewer. Crouching down, she tensed her muscles and pumped her arm to wind up the device. It sputtered to life after the first few rotations, and was operating after a few dozen more. The soft glow of the wall LEDs lit up, and when Zuke turned off the flashlight she was able to just barely seem him in the light. Most of the power was fed in to the TV, as she had learned months ago the very first time Zuke had brought back the generator.</p><p> </p><p> Whatever hunk of metal had had brought through the door, it was scrappy and caked in rust. May thought he'd lost his mind only until he'd cleaned off the rust off with a rag soaked in a clear and strong-smelling liquid. When she asked how he got ahold of it, he didn't elaborate too far in to it, but what she could recall was, "Someone left it on the curb, figured we'd need it one day, just incase." Blackouts were not a daily ordinance then, and even when they happened they lasted seconds. The grueling couple days after he'd brought it home, May had dreaded having it. It looked ugly in the corner, and back then she never knew things would become so much worse. "Listen, you'll thank me when that day comes," he told her with his hands clamping on her shoulders.</p><p> </p><p> She'd hate to admit it, but she was grateful. In the span of just days, the length of the blackouts had begun to last longer until now when they kept going hours on end. As she left out a groan and fell back on to the couch, she was about to begin her spiel of how she hated to admit that the generator was useful after all and all that boring stuff, but when she looked at Zuke she saw him wearing a puzzled expression, his hand resting on his chin while his brow was pulled down and his eyes shut tight.</p><p> "The lights never flickered light that before a blackout. Something feels off," he remarked, picking up the TV remote and turning it on. He flipped to the news channel for answers, and even with the seed of doubt in the pit of his stomach, somehow he'd hoped that it was just a one-off thing. After all, he wasn't a professional with electricity and all that. He knew that hope in him was short-lived, and so when the scene finally faded in that hope sunk. The camera seemed to flail wildly as if the reporter were running, only to stop a couple blocks from the NSR headquarters. As the camera panned up, he saw the tall building with smoke drifting off of it. The glow of flames reflected off the gray column, but where exactly the fire was coming from was hard to tell.<br/>
 In the midst of his shock, Zuke felt May’s gaze burning into the side of his face. He side-eyed her, and it seemed that was enough for her to launch into that spiel she devised in her head, taking no notice of the unfolding scene on the TV. “So maybe you were right about the generator, but you have to admit the thing was god awful sitting in the corner. It looked like an ugly puppy sitting out in the rain-” she began.</p><p> Zuke’s focus was brought back to the TV when he noticed the view had changed. Now, he could see the source of the flames. He gestured towards the TV with a nod of his head when May <em>still</em> kept going.<br/>
 Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "May, the TV."</p><p> Onscreen was a shaky live recording, but it was better than standing on the roof and hoping to catch a glimpse from there. Viewed from the cockpit of one of NSR's own helicopters showed the scene unfolding within the height of the headquarters. Tatiana, the very head of the NSR, standing off with a figure equally as tall and much more vibrant. It was only a few slow moments, and then the recording came to an abrupt end as the screen became engulfed in the shockwave of a brutal explosion. Even from where they were in the sewers, May could hear it all too well. "So I saw Tatiana, but who was that other chick?" she asked, releasing the tension from her body that she didn't even know she had.</p><p> "That-... that was Eve."</p><p> The few moments after were strange. May felt the shock and horror that one would normally feel seeing something like that, yet as she stared at the static onscreen with her mouth slightly ajar, there was almost a sense of serenity. Of course it didn’t last long, because soon her heart raced when the shockwave of the explosion ran over their block. She had ducked down somewhat to cover her head as the LEDs flickered and her teeth rattled in her mouth, but worse of all was the <em> sound. </em>It was a loud roar, one that shook her to her core and left her ears ringing. She could barely hear, yet just that sole fact startled her. She stood up and yelled for Zuke above the whining in her ears, panic rising in her throat.</p><p> His hand grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. “I’m here, May. Whatever just happened, we might be in for something,” he said. The two of them stood still for a bit, Zuke letting May cling to him while the ringing in their ears slowly began to go away, before they split off.</p><p> Without saying a word, May turned tail and made for the exit. She needed to see what was going on for herself. After that shockwave, she couldn’t be one hundred percent confident that staying in the sewer and watching TV would be the best way of witnessing this. She could hear Zuke calling her name, and she knew he’d come after her, but she kept going.</p><p> </p><p> Zuke caught up with her when she was already on the rooftop. She could hear him take in a gulp of air as he hoisted himself up the ladder. “May-” before he could finish, he saw the full extent of what they had seen on TV before it had cut off.</p><p> The NSR headquarters had collapsed in on itself.</p><p> He felt his knees begin to buckle as the gravity of the situation hit him. The fire, the explosion, and the cloud of settling debris and dust that surrounded the rubble of the grand building. His legs gave out, but May hooked her arms under his and lifted him up, shifting him over to just one arm and letting him lean on her, “Easy there, Zuke,” she mumbled, but even she didn’t sound as calm and collected as she tried to let on. Her voice almost shook with how nervous she was.<br/>
He didn’t know whether she truly realized the impact of the HQ’s collapsing, especially after what he’d seen on TV. <em>Eve was in there…</em> he thought.</p><p><em>  Eve was </em> <b> <em>in there</em> </b>.</p><p> Even after that dreaded performance, the day his hair went up in flames and he realized his breaking point with his now ex, he still saw the young girl she once was when they were together. To see everything he had built with her that may have still remained suddenly come crashing and crumbling overwhelmed him. He hung his head, and while he wasn’t one to cry, he felt pinpricks of tears that quickly gave way to a stream.<br/>
 May in the meantime was still watching the aftermath. Sirens wailed as people began to swarm the area. It was general chaos, but mixed in with the confusion was an equal feeling of melancholy. Crowds were upturning wreckage, and with panicked yells to drag out a survivor, there were also horrified cries from those who found someone but couldn’t make it in time. The situation itself felt wrong for her to just stand around and watch, she was scared, confused, and all she could do was stand.</p><p> “Zuke…” she spoke under her breath, to finally notice him silently sobbing, “oh god, Zuke.” She slowly slid him off of her and gently let him down until he was on his knees, unable to keep himself together. This was the first time she had seen him ever like this, to the point where she had forgotten Zuke ever was anything besides a calm and level-headed guy. She herself got on her knees and faced him, brushing her hands over his shoulders as she opened her arms to offer a hug. After momentarily looking up from having his face buried in his hands, he took it, wrapping his compadre in a bear hug she wasn’t expecting. She let out a cry of surprise as she was locked in to the hug, but then wrapped her own arms around him and let out a sigh.<br/>
May let him cry on her shoulder. It was the least she could do for the time being.</p><p><br/>
 When he shuddered less, she lifted him up so that they looked each other in the eye. “Zuke, we have to help them,” she told him. She held a firm grip on his shoulders, offering comfort but also a stern demanding.<br/>
 Zuke was against this, not because he didn’t want to, but because he was afraid that if he did, he’d only uncover the inevitable. He slowly swallowed down his sadness and slowly nodded. “You’re right.”</p><p> May helped him to his feet and dashed for the end of the roof, hitching herself over the side and climbing down the ladder. When her feet were on the ground, Zuke dropped in beside her. The puffiness on his face from when he was crying moments before was quite evident, and she felt a twinge of sympathy for her bandmate. “Just let me know if at any point you want to go home,” she told him, before she began her stride through the streets and towards what remained of the tower.<br/>
 Rubbing away any remaining dampness on his face, Zuke still felt the pull of reluctance in the back of his stomach, but he knew he was too far in to back out now.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> By the time they had made it, most of the rubble had been thoroughly searched. Employees of the NSR uninjured enough to stand kept things organized as other law enforcement and emergency services swarmed to the scene. May caught a glimpse of Zuke out of the corner of her eye and noticed the color that had drained from his face. He was keeping himself strong and composed though at the very least, she’d have to thank him later for that or something.<br/>
 The day was spent shoving over pieces of the tower, some of which required a group just to get it to budge. In all of her days performing and living it out with her pal she never thought she’d see some of the stuff she saw that day. Some of it made her shield her face and back away while professionals and other civilians dealt with it.<br/>
Zuke in the meantime stuck behind May like glue. There were times when they were unearthing someone and he would have to shield her face due to the mess. She wriggled away from it, but otherwise did not complain.</p><p> “Wait, Zuke. They found Tatiana,” May stated, pointing towards the very center of the wreckage even though they were <em>supposed</em> to be focused elsewhere. Zuke knew what she was implying though. <em>If they found Tatiana, Eve would be close by,</em> he thought, feeling sick to his stomach. Tatiana was alive, covered in large cuts and bruises and a massive burn across the side of her body, but miraculously alive.<br/>
 They began the search again, piecing through warped pieces of metal and concrete until they had dug a crater through the mess. It was when May had grabbed a hold of a cold and slender hand decorated in nail polish. She felt a small sinking feeling that was only amplified when Zuke hurriedly whimpered, “I want to go home, May.”<br/>
<br/>
 She didn’t fight it. She was also feeling sick from the things she had seen. After seeing the HQ collapse, it was sobering to pick around the wreckage. Oftentimes she was so invested in action and the thrill that comes from it, but seeing the aftermath and the damage it had done made her queasy at the thought that maybe the explosion looked <em>somewhat</em> cool.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
 Back in the sewers, Zuke practically collapsed onto the couch. He had changed drastically from when he left to when he got back. He had pulled himself into a tight posture, the back of his legs pressed against the couch while his head was ducked and his back arched, his hands clasped together over the back of his neck. As soon he sat down, the tears began to run again. It was bad enough that it was implied Eve had died, but seeing confirmation just made him feel worse. He felt guilt for something he had no control over, but it was the sole fact that he had no control over what had happened that made him feel especially worse. He only wished he could have patched things up before everything went to hell.<br/>
 May watched from a few paces behind the couch. She exhaled and snagged a glass from the sink in the other room, filling it with tap water. She set the glass down on the table in front of the couch, speaking to the mess that is Zuke, “Look, I’ll let you cry in peace, but at least stay hydrated.”<br/>
<br/>
 He took the glass and took a long swig of it, draining half of its contents before May could even walk away. “Thank you,” he breathed, setting the glass back down. His grip on it tightened momentarily in his indignation, but relaxed quickly as his gaze dropped down to his lap<br/>
 Normally, May would have made fun of Zuke for crying like this, but the circumstances behind it had shut her up before the thoughts ever crossed her mind. She sat on the couch, opting to take the opposite end as to not intrude on her bandmate’s space. “Do you need anything else?” she asked. Even if he didn’t answer, she was content with just the acknowledgement of her question.<br/>
<br/>
 She almost jumped when he finally gave her his answer. His voice was clogged with emotion, and a bit nasally too, “Please… stay here.”<br/>
 May nodded, but didn’t say anything else. She sat up, crossing her arms behind her head as she leaned back in her seat. She had questions, so many questions, but she figured those could wait until later. For now she figured she’d watch TV, anything but the news channel until Zuke had calmed down. She flipped through channels aimlessly and settled on a sitcom, absentmindedly staring through the screen.</p><p> The clink of the glass brought her back to reality. Zuke’s posture had changed from curled up to somewhat straighter, but he still sniffled and his eyelids hung with exhaustion from his grief. He rested his forearms on his lap, holding himself up.<br/>
 “What made you so upset back there?” May asked, completely unaware of Zuke’s relation with Eve.</p><p> “You saw who was in that room besides Tatiana, right?” he asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.</p><p> “Uh, duh, you told me,” May mumbled, crossing her arms in a tinge of frustration that Zuke had forgotten.</p><p> “Oh yeah, you’re right. Well,” he took in a breath and slowly let it out in a drawn out huff before he continued, “Eve, or Nadia, is- I guess was- my ex.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man I'm never gonna start writing in AO3 again, I can't use html for the life of me</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Her Radiant Limb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some slight revisions happening while I get a grip with this and myself<br/>-Chapter 1's been changed to Come Back Down<br/>Updating/changing tags as I go</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Something tugged at May’s heart. Jealousy, or maybe envy that Zuke had a significant other in the past. She maintained her solemn expression, but noted the twitch at the edges of her lips when her mind had processed those words.<br/><br/> “I just wasn’t enough for her, I guess? She was the earth, I was the water, and while we at first had fit together well, it seemed like it wasn’t well enough. Maybe I realized that after she set my hair on fire, or maybe that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.<br/> “Yet even with everything that led up to our separation, it’s not like all my memories of her were tarnished. There were… quite a few happy ones I guess,” Zuke dug through his pocket and pulled out his phone. He briefly scrolled through his photos until settling on one. He held up the screen in May’s direction so she could see.<br/> It was a photo of Zuke and Eve together. Both noticeably younger than their current selves. May had seen Eve from her promotional video, and while it was rather strange it gave her a good look at the tall woman, noticeably the clearcut halves her skin tone was divided in. In the photo, her hair swooped down past her shoulders and almost billowed at the ends, curling upwards right at the ends. Zuke looked almost the same, only his hair was shorter and tied up at the back. They were posing in front of an intricate formation of painted bottles that when looking at from a specific angle formed a heart.<br/> It was cute, very cute, and while May had no involvement in that memory whatsoever she felt herself reminisce as if she were in Zuke’s place.<br/> <em>I gotta ask him why he let his hair grow out after that,</em> she thought.</p>
<p> Aside from that, though, May could see why Zuke ever had eyes for her. Eve, or Nadia rather, had such a different feel in that photo than she did in the present. Her free-spirited nature that her sheer looks gave her felt so raw in the photo, while in the present it was much more refined.</p>
<p> It didn’t take too long for Zuke’s explanation to pull together why he had acted the way he did when they were among the wreckage of the NSR Headquarters, “You didn’t want to find her body.” That led May to recall the exact timing of when he’d asked to go home, and remembered the pale and elegant hand. She felt a wave of slight queasiness at the thought that she had probably just touched the hand of her best friend’s dead ex.</p>
<p> Zuke’s sobs began again at May’s question. His voice was shaky when he spoke, “It was inevitable, but I guess deep down I thought if I didn’t see the body she might still be alive.”</p>
<p> May’s gaze dropped. Now she was really regretting dragging Zuke over to that pile of concrete. She probably could have prevented this full-blown meltdown had she had a brain and went alone without bringing her already distraught bandmate. Nothing she could do to help it now, apart from trying to comfort him.<br/> <em>Wait how do I even comfort him? </em>she thought, a small twinge of panic racing up her spine and over her neck. Mayday, of all people, was not someone who liked to apologize or to console anyone, that was Zuke who normally did, but now it was she who had to do it to him. She reached a tentative hand out and placed it on Zuke’s shoulder, feeling his muscles tense but soon relax.<br/> “I don’t know if it’s any help, but I’d think she’s up in heaven or somethin’ probably looking down at you and thanking you for memories you two made,” she murmured in a softened voice.<br/> Zuke’s response was almost minimal, and the only way May was able to tell that he even heard and acknowledged her was the brief period of stillness and silence that came from him for a few moments after she had spoken. He still shook, and his head was buried in his hands, but it was a start.<br/> “Seriously, I really think she understood why you two split up, deep down, and from that photo, er, looks like you really encouraged her artistic eye.”</p>
<p> Zuke turned his head away from his hands. “You really think?” he asked in a hoarse voice. The edges of his eyes were reddened, but otherwise he had grown more composed than just ten minutes ago.<br/> “Duh, dude. You saw how happy she looked in that photo.”</p>
<p> He sat up, letting his hands fall and rest on his lap. Zuke rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes, a mumble escaping him whilst doing so, “I guess you’re right.”<br/> May had hoped that her plan had worked out better than it did, but it could have been worse. Grief wasn’t something that just went away in the blink of an eye. It would take days, weeks, or even months for it to shrink. Maybe she had forgotten that in her attempts to comfort him, or maybe she had just hoped that somehow she could’ve ignored all of that and it would have worked.<br/> Either way, his mourning wouldn’t be over just yet. <em>Unless a miracle happened… </em>she thought in a half sarcastic tone. She sat up from the couch, “You stay there and look at photos of puppies, or kittens, or whatever. I’ll go make dinner,” she told him, heading out of the room and to the raggedy kitchen area. Before she left though, she cast one more glance over her shoulder just to make sure her bandmate would be alright for the short time she’d be away.</p>
<p> May seldom made dinner. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to, it was that she despised having to make something before eating. When she felt hungry, she wanted that issue solved right away, so cooking was torture for her.<br/> She remembered the one time she was eating with Zuke in front of the TV. She had had a lack of appetite the moment she set the plates, and when she’d pushed away her dish of medium-rare steak heaped with raw vegetables, Zuke had taken one look and made a playful remark, “Looks like you did all your eating while you were cooking.”<br/> It was, of course, a joke, but it sat in the back of May’s mind whenever she did cook. She remained self-conscious about that habit ever since.</p>
<p> She didn’t know what to have expected when she opened the dinged up fridge’s door and saw a pathetic amount of food. Anything in was either leftovers or scraps. Wilted sprigs of spinach, an apple that had at that point grown its own ecosystem, a carryout container of teriyaki beef from yesterday, and a half-full carton of milk. Not the ideal things one would want for dinner together.<br/> So May open the cupboard overhead the stove. Since they didn't have a fancy walk-in pantry, she converted one of the cupboards into a smaller one. She lifted two containers of microwave ramen out and set them on the counter. It was one of her go-to meals if she were ever left alone and didn’t want to order takeout. It was tasty, filling, and only took a few minutes to prepare, so when Zuke was at his lowest, May wanted to be sure she didn’t leave him alone for more than a bit, juuuuust in case.<br/> She ripped off the plastic seals of both of them and poured one packet of vegetables but tossed the other. She was not a fan of that stuff in her food, so she never understood why Zuke did. When she topped one off with water from the ever so slightly tarnished kitchen sink, she stuck it in the microwave and set it for three minutes.</p>
<p> While the device hummed and she waited for it to finish, she took to her phone. One thing had always nagged at the back of her head since what she saw on TV, and that was why the hell did the HQ collapse.<br/> A quick google search brought up numerous articles, and while it didn’t shock her at first, the very words that most of the articles did left her heart racing.</p>
<p><b> Outrage Sparks Over NSR’s Rejection and Bias Against Small Indie Band </b> <b> <em>Bunk Bed Junction</em> </b></p>
<p> It was a vague title, but it seemed just too coincidental for there to be public anger <em> and </em>the destruction of the NSR Headquarters. Whether it really was just purely coincidence, or a connected attack, she’d have to find out. She tapped on an article and scrolled past the headline.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Recent broadcast of the Lights Up Audition left viewers angered at the clear bias that Tatiana, the CEO of the acclaimed record label NSR, demonstrated toward the small rock band <em>Bunk Bed Junction</em> after a stellar performance.<br/> After a unanimous disapproval from Tatiana and the top five artists of NSR, the band left in stubborn defeat after the declaration that the music genre rock was now banned from future auditions.</p>
<p> Live audience and viewers from home agree that the harsh backlash from the CEO was undeserved, and some have voiced their disapproval of Tatiana’s choice of EDM being the preferred genre, some even coming out to say that <em>other</em> genres aside from rock have also been rejected based on the bias.<br/> One of NSR’s own top artists, the modern art specialist Eve known for her surreal and melancholic music, came forward to talk about her own experience during the audition.<br/> “I was hesitant to give an answer when I saw Zuke. The only reason turned them down was due to peer pressure.<br/> “The favoritism towards EDM doesn’t allow for any growth and expansion to an artist’s name.”</p>
<p> Some have speculated that the artist’s conflicting views sparked a revolt of sorts against the record label. Tatiana has refused to come out and give an answer to the rumors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> The article was dated back to only a couple hours ago. If May had to guess, it was only hours, maybe even minutes, prior to what had gone down at the HQ. She couldn’t find anything regarding the happenings down at the former site of the headquarters aside from live recordings from multiple news channels. She’d have to wait for either a few more hours, or for tomorrow.<br/><br/> The microwave went off right in the middle of her thoughts, and she powered her phone off and set it down. She opened the drawer and took out a terry cloth pot holder. If she touched that bowl of ramen for longer than a second, she’d end up on the ground howling in pain. As inexpensive as they were, the plastic polymer that the bowls were made out of conducted heat a little too well for May’s own impulsive good.<br/> She cautiously lifted the bowl out with the pot holder, and set it down on the counter. She picked a fork from a drawer and picked the ramen back up, bringing it back to where Zuke was. “It’s scalding, don’t hurt yourself,” she told him as she set it down on the table.<br/> “I think I’m the last person you’d have to tell that to. If anything it’s you who <em>I’d</em> have to warn,” he replied, a slight rumble of a chuckle vibrated in the back of his throat. He still sounded somber, but again, it was progress. His serious look did return for once when he looked up from his food and over to the empty spot on the table where May typically ate with him. “Where's yours?” he asked.</p>
<p> May shrugged, “Not hungry,” she replied. Truth is, she lost her appetite when she had been reading that news article. The whole idea of the public revolting made her feel a bit sick. She liked the idea of fame, but publicity like this was just not her idea of fame. She wanted to be the top of the music charts, not top of the headlines.</p>
<p> “That’s a first. You’d wolf down dinner on any normal evening,” he remarked, muttering the second sentence in slightly lower voice. He was hunched over the ramen and lightly blowing on the spool of noodles that hugged the fork, “I guess I can’t blame you after today.”</p>
<p> “Yeah, somethin’ I uh, probably would have gone home only shortly after you wanted to had I been up there alone,” May said in a partial fib. Admittedly she would have, but again, it was all the headlines she had seen just moments earlier that had sown a seed of dread in her.</p>
<p> “I get that. It was… disturbing.”</p>
<p> May sat down, not bothering to finish preparing the second bowl of ramen she had opened. The TV was still on, but rather than the channel she had left it on, it was turned to one of those music-only channels. Classical tunes hung in the air, whatever would help ease him, she guessed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Later at night laid back on her bed. Still no reliable news article on what had happened at the NSR Headquarters earlier, or whether there was a connection at all to the talk of revolts, and Eve. She heard the bunk bed creak, and guessed that Zuke was shifting around.<br/> Just as she was about to put away her phone and roll over to go to sleep, she felt a hand brush against her elbow that nearly made her scream until she realized it was Zuke’s.<br/>“Zuke?”</p>
<p> “Are you really sure she wouldn’t be angry with me?” he asked her, pulling his hand away.</p>
<p> “I’m certain, dude. Go to sleep, you really don’t wanna stay up all night worrying about that,” she murmured. She wanted to be able to help him, but she also wanted to sleep too. Though if anything, helping her bandmate had more priority over getting rest that night. Before she could roll back over, she peered over the edge of the bunk. “If you need anything from me, don’t be afraid to wake me up,” she told him before finally stretching out and pulling a blanket over herself.<br/><br/> Sleep came to her easier than she expected, and for a while she stayed asleep, so she had to assume Zuke hadn’t needed anything and was able to lull himself off.<br/> In her subconscious state though she saw herself back on the roof, except this was before the NSR Headquarters collapsed. Smoke billowed and obscured the moon from view, shrouding the city in darkness. Even the backup generators that she had heard about weren’t in use. Fire reflected off of the column of rising smoke, and seemed to crawl higher and higher. May saw the tongues of flame lashing out from windows on one side of the tower. The large room at the very top overlooking the entirety of Vinyl City was somewhat dark at first, but from a distance she could make out the two who stood off prior to the collapse, Eve and Tatiana.<br/> She saw the glow of fire reach the loft they stood in, and it truly illuminated the menace that May saw in Eve. The heat and the glow cast an angered shadow on her face.<br/>Then they were engulfed in the blast, and the large glass window blew outward in every direction. <em>Shit!</em> May hissed internally, crouching and ducking as the shockwave blew over the city. It ripped and tore through her body and soul and for a moment she feared she’d be blown back even when she felt glued to the ground.</p>
<p> May expected silence after that. It almost felt like time stopped, but it hadn’t. The next roar that crashed over her ears was the very tower toppling in on itself, taking with it the two big figures of the NSR. She could do nothing but stand with her mouth agape.<br/> She felt choked of air, as if she was the one trapped under the rubble. Her arms shook as she stood on her hands and knees. When she looked up, she saw Eve, unharmed and without a scratch, staring down at her with vivid glowing green eyes and thin pupils.<br/><br/><br/> And then May woke up screaming.<br/> Zuke jumped, “Holy shit, May,” he spat. He was awake too, and already out of bed, but the creases under his eyes told her he was still quite tired.<br/><br/> Her heart was racing with terror and panic, and she had to take deep breaths just to calm it down. “What time is it?” she shakily asked, side-eying Zuke.<br/><br/> “10 a.m., I wanted to wake you up, but you were tossing and turning so I thought you were about to get up yourself. Do you want some coffee?” he asked, gesturing to the sizzling coffee pot in his hand with a tilt of his head.<br/><br/> “Yeah sure.” May swung her legs over the edge of the bunk bed and pushed herself off. “How did you sleep?”<br/><br/> He took two mugs from the cupboard and walked alongside May as they headed for the main room, “Ehhhh, depends. I had an off-and-off nightmare, and I guess you did too?”<br/><br/> To call it a nightmare felt underestimating. It felt more like a retelling of the abhorrent hell that was that night, and that narrow-eyed stare she received from the visage of Eve was ingrained in her memory. “Mm, yeah,” she replied simply.<br/><br/> “Well, I hope yours wasn’t as horrible as mine was.” he sighed. His own nightmare was just Zuke digging through the rubbish of the NSR Headquarters, Eve’s outstretched hand reaching for him but falling lower and lower as he dug until it sunk out of his sight completely. It felt surreal, and while he felt desperation and panic, he also felt eerily calm and shocked when the last remnant of her disappeared into the wreckage. She was gone, even in his dreamland.</p>
<p> “Probably wasn’t,” May mumbled as she plopped down on the couch. “Are you fine with me watching the news?” she asked him in a cautious manner.</p>
<p> He shrugged, “Go for it.”</p>
<p> “Ya sure? I can always watch it while you’re not around or somethin’, or you can go into another room.”</p>
<p> “No, May, I’m fine,” he reassured, looking over at her with a slight smile, “Thank you for yesterday, by the way.”</p>
<p> Her cheeks took on a slightly redder hue. “Oh, it was nothing…” she mumbled.</p>
<p> “No seriously. I know it’ll take a while for me to get over Nadia,” he set the mugs on to the table and poured the steaming hot coffee into them both before he continued, “but you’ve made it monumentally easier to ride out those waves. The coffee’s scalding by the way, watch out.”</p>
<p> “Ah… well again, it was nothing,” seeing herself at a loss for words, May could only parrot what she had previously said. She picked up the remote and turned it on, flicking through the channels for the news just as Zuke sat down beside her.<br/> The scene on the screen recalled back to the aftermath of the tower collapsing, and the rescue efforts that both citizens and emergency services alike went under to save anyone who had survived the collapse. Though who and the exact number that hadn’t survived still hadn’t been confirmed.<br/> May sunk back in her seat hearing this, and she glanced at Zuke from the corner of her vision. He was looking down at his phone, but every now and then she saw his gaze flicker up at the TV before immediately focusing back on his device.<br/> Zuke was glad that there was no mention or either Tatiana and Eve, he knew if they mentioned the CEO, they’d definitely mention her second-in-command. It would be confirmation, and while it would hurt, at that point he was ready to accept it.</p>
<p> That was, until it cut away from the HQ to a view within the Dream Fever district where a reporter was fervently speaking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> “-voiced her support for <em>Bunk Bed Junction</em> shortly after the annual Light’s Up Audition, a well-known rite of passage into the NSR. Since then, the district has slowly begun to turn the same way. Here’s to hoping things remain civil he-”<br/><br/> “I’ll take that,” an all too familiar voice cut off the reporter, and Zuke’s attention snapped to the TV. <em>…Nadia? </em>he thought, confused as hell now.<br/> The camera whipped around to face the source of the voice and slowly panned up and out to show Eve. Gauze tightly hugged her in numerous places, including over the eye that her sleek and styled hair already covered a majority of. She held the microphone she had plucked from the reporter, and she balanced on a crutch, but neither of her legs showed any external injury.<br/> “Greetings, Vinyl City,” Eve spoke as if she didn’t just walk away from falling multiple stories and getting crushed by any debris that came down with her. Her narrowing eyes then focused on the very center of the camera, almost as if she were looking down on whoever was watching, “and hello Bunk Bed Junction. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I made for you both.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Zuke never knew it was possible for someone to feel all five stages of grief in reverse, but somehow he did, all at once.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I tell myself this is practice for NaNoWriMo in two months but I'll probably have exhausted myself when that comes around</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. In a Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “I’d like you two to come down to the Dream Fever district; we have some things to discuss,” Eve went on. Her eyes narrowed further, the lime green irises almost seemed to take on a glow, and the knuckles of the hand holding the microphone began to grow white, “and no, it’s not a request.” Just before it cut away, the plastic handle of the mic cracked and shattered, forcing a shrill ring out of it that made the two bandmates cover their ears in agony.<br/> And then the TV cut off to the news anchors. May stood and switched it off, but remained still afterwards. “That’s a complete mindfuck…” she muttered under her breath. While it was completely disorienting to hear, she couldn’t imagine how hard it’d be on Zuke.</p>
<p> It was excruciating for him to process. The waves of denial and anger slowly sunk back in and out, and then came the sorrow, but strangely enough it stuck. He didn’t know <em>what</em> caused that feeling of sadness. Whether it was the fact that he had spent that past day grieving for naught, or that he had begun to accept the idea that she was gone, and so when that idea was flipped on him and made apparent that she had survived, it felt almost like someone pressing him with a searing hot iron, but then applying burn cream moments after.<br/>He didn’t know why he still felt as worthless as before.</p>
<p> Zuke got to his feet, feeling his legs shake. He took in a breath, stiffening himself and locking his knees to try and rid himself of the quivering.</p>
<p> May set a hand on his shoulder, and spoke up when he cast her a pitiful glance, “If you wanna sit this one out and give yourself some time to think, I er-... I can go alone.”<br/><br/> He made a move to brush away her hand, but stopped midway and let his arm fall to his side. “No, I need to go,” he stated, picking up his mug of coffee and bringing it to his lips.<br/><br/> She frowned slightly. After yesterday and her mistake to bring him along to the former location of the NSR Headquarters, she felt inclined to just suffer the brunt of everything that happened afterwards. “You sure?”<br/><br/> Zuke had drained the mug of its contents when he set it back down. He wiped his face with his arm and nodded slowly, “I have to, she’ll want me to be there. Besides, I don’t know if I can send you to be around her alone.”</p>
<p> “Well, alright. If she does anything you don’t like though, I’ll kick her ass for ya, ya hear?”<br/><br/> He smiled through the depressed frown and hanging eyelids, and a small chuckle escaped him, “I don’t think that’ll be needed. C’mon, let’s get ready.”</p>
<p> May was left to her own biddings when he left to change. She grabbed her socks off the bunk and pulled them on. She didn’t know why she had expected her bandmate to be happier about the situation, yet at the same time it didn’t faze her when he was downcast. Her thoughts soon drifted back to the article from last night as she waited by the exit. Public outrage, was that all it would be? She almost wished it’d evolve into something more, but the collapse of the NSR’s headquarters, the very record label that drew the anger of some of the population, already crossed a line she never knew existed. <em>Things are gonna get sooo much worse from here on out because of that… </em>she thought.<br/> Hearing about Eve’s supposed allegiance to the band in pursuit of reversing the ban on rock and seeing her in the tower just moments before it came crashing down would shed some light on the rumors that the destruction had been power of the revolt, and suddenly the anger towards the NSR would split into two conflicting views.<br/> Not to mention that the power hadn’t come back on since that night. If there was anything that was a pain to do, it was winding up the generator every couple of hours when the LEDs began to dim and the TV would flicker. There was no official news on what had happened, but like with everything, theories and speculations would arise soon enough.<br/><br/> “Uh, Earth to May?” Zuke called, waving a hand in front of her face that brought her back to reality. He was pulling his suit jacket on as he spoke, “You were completely out of it when I came over, something on your mind?”<br/><br/> May tilted her head in a jokingly exasperated manner. “Why <em>wouldn’t</em> there be?” she retorted.<br/><br/> He shrugged, already headed out of the sewer by the time he answered, “Touché, still though.”<br/><br/> Before she followed after him, she quickly reached for and hitched her guitar over her back, pulling the strap over her shoulder and snugly against her body. “I don’t think what’s on my mind’s important right now. What about yours?”<br/><br/> Zuke didn’t respond. His bright eyes were filled with a somber emotion. That short back-and-forth had nearly made him forget about their current objective, <em>nearly.</em> He didn’t want to forget, but rather he wished it just never happened. He hated that scare that Nadia had died, only for it to be untrue when he will still tender about the subject.</p>
<p> His bandmate’s face tilted down in a slight frown at his silence, but she didn’t press him further.</p>
<p> The mid-morning sun flooded into the streets of Vinyl City. There was something so ominous about the lack of artificial light anywhere, even within the NSR Artist’s districts, and the lack of the looming view of the tower itself. There was definitely some buildings or rooms with power, but if they had to guess, it was a generator like theirs.<br/> More people were on the street due to that, it seemed. Those whose apartment lacked windows or just didn’t get enough natural light sat on benches and read, conversed, or just hung out. May noticed a few glances their way that sent a hot flash of apprehension through her.</p>
<p> As they strolled to the main plaza though, the duo came across a roadblock, literally. Barricades lined the streets that surrounded the Qwasa, and a tall fabric curtain engulfed it, blocking it from view from most peering eyes. Even members of NSR were posted around the artifact, keeping a watchful eye.</p>
<p> “Huh, that’s… strange…” Zuke mumbled as he walked up to one of the barricades and set his hands on it, leaning forward. “Something happened to the Qwasa?”<br/><br/> May studied the scene, nothing looked particularly strange aside from the barriers and covering. “Maybe the tower’s collapse threw off its balance? If that isn’t the case then I got nothin’.”</p>
<p> “Maybe. Either way we’ll have to go around it.”<br/><br/> Finding a path through the back alleyways wasn’t too difficult. It put her on edge that they had set up barricades alongside the curtain. It didn’t look like the Qwasa exploded or anything serious enough to warrant that. Just the sentries and the covering would have been enough.</p>
<p><br/> Their walk through the other districts to Dream Fever was at a leisure pace, but the tension and suspense that the both of them felt hung in the air. At this point, May had truly blanked on how to help her compadre now. Her consolation yesterday was the convergence of ideas on what she should’ve said that floated around in her head, but now she couldn’t draw up anything.<br/> Most of all, though, she missed the old Zuke. She understood the general grief and sorrow, but she didn’t know the true extent that he may have cared for her. She wanted to give him all the time he might need to get over things, but how long that might take was unpredictable. <em>At least she’s alive,</em> she thought, <em>that’s the only thing that matters right now, for his sanity at least.</em></p>
<p> She still didn’t know just how janked up Zuke’s mindset had been since, though.</p>
<p><br/><br/><br/> “Took you two long enough,” Eve was at the entrance to the district, leaning against the archway, “I nearly sent someone to find you myself.”</p>
<p> May huffed, “We left pretty much as soon as you told us to. What more do you want from us?”</p>
<p> “To pick up the pace. Don’t think I didn’t see you two fooling around as if I had all the time in the world to wait on you. Anyway, we’d best move already,” the tall woman turned their backs on them and hobbled off at a brisk pace.<br/><br/> Zuke stared, perplexed that she didn’t acknowledge him the moment he showed up. <em> She’s changed </em> , he thought, only remembering that there were bigger things at play here only when May grabbed his wrist and hurried after her.</p>
<p> The very same darkness that shrouded the rest of the city seemed to impact Dream Fever the hardest. The sleek and modernized look that would have felt almost eerie in the dark was rescued by the daytime light. The lack of backup power made it feel abandoned if it weren’t for the citizens of the district that milled around, yet it felt off to not hear the commercials, the audio recordings, or anything that typically played on the numerous screens sticking out from walls and corners.</p>
<p> May was partially grateful that those ads never played. She had heard Sayu’s enough times to never want to give in to the product placement, ever.<br/>She almost expected the people they passed to whoop and holler at them, whether cheering them on or the opposite. They didn’t, though. Instead they only showed their approval, or disapproval, through slight smiles or a glow in their eyes. That was the only acceptable silence here since they arrived, that was the token quality of the district.</p>
<p> She saw the gallery from a distance and noticed it had power. Light poured from the glass doors and reflected off the abstract art within. It was strange sight to see, and for a moment it almost felt like things were normal again, that this was just a typical blackout and the emergency generator was running while they fixed the issue.<br/> But no, the tower was still rubble, Eve was still in serious condition, and Tatiana's status unknown. </p>
<p> Eve didn’t speak a word throughout the entire wobbling strut to the Evenfall Gallery. Upon arriving, she fell back as the duo went in and shut the doors behind them. Seeing May glance back with a partially alarmed face, she offered an explanation, “People hear everything these days. I’m sparing you two that hassle.<br/> “So, Zuke. It’s a pleasure seeing you again, even in these circumstances.”<br/><br/> Zuke turned his head away, “You too, Nadia.” He had a feeling he knew what she was about to launch into.<br/><br/> “It’s saddening things didn’t work out, but there’s no harm in trying again.”<br/><br/> That’s when he turned to look her in the eyes, his brow slightly furrowed in pain as he spoke, “Could we not talk about this? I know what I did at Rupturika was wrong,” he pinched the bridge of his nose as he went on, “I should have texted you, or met up to explain. What we lacked just isn’t something that can be fixed.”<br/><br/> “Anything can be fixed with time-”<br/><br/> “No, not everything. You may have seen potential in me, but changing my view on the world just isn’t something you can do.”<br/><br/> Eve frowned, and Zuke thought he saw her clench her fists briefly, but they relaxed before he could really tell. She took in a deep breath. “Very well. I will want to talk later though, a day less… disorganized I guess one could put it.”<br/><br/> He nodded his agreement, but before he could move on to the real subject, May beat him to it, “So we’re here to talk about the revolution aren’t we?”</p>
<p> Eve shot her a hostile glance that made her fidget. “Of course we are. I would have asked you two to come days later, but the hospital discharged me sooner than I had expected, especially with the injuries I sustained from that little stunt.”<br/><br/> Zuke’s nose crinkled, “A stunt? Was that all it was?” he asked, unbeknownst to the anger that laced his words. It felt sickening to hear her emerge from the wreck of the NSR tower with serious injuries only to brush it off as a minor feat.</p>
<p> “It was, originally at least,” she muttered, folding her arms before continuing on, “The fire was my idea of confronting Tatiana with no way of her escaping, but I never accounted for infrastructure faulty enough that the whole thing implodes when the gas line fails.<br/> “So thanks to that, I never wrung a word out of her before it all crashed down. Along with that, the whole thing costed an arm and a leg, or almost a leg,” to demonstrate what she had meant, two more pairs of arms sprouted from behind her back, the upper left one noticably cut off at the elbow and wrapped tightly in gauze. All that was left to show on it was the fragments of the beautiful henna staining that reached out from under the bandages, but even then there wasn’t much. She held it out for the duo to stare at.<br/><br/> Zuke looked particularly distressed. “Does it hurt at all?”</p>
<p> “...what kind of question is that? Yes, my severed arm does hurt. They told me that they prescribed me industrial painkillers, but it almost feels like over-the-counter pedestrian trash.”</p>
<p> “A-ah, I see…” he restrained himself from prodding any further about it, feeling almost like he was back in college where his composed demeanor would instantly melt any time his now-ex got injured, whether it was a small cut or something larger. <em> Her entire forearm is just gone. Was that what May saw last night?” </em></p>
<p> “Either way, it was an ineffective stunt at that, so I decided to call upon you both before I did anything more drastic.”</p>
<p> “Wait, anything <em> more </em> drastic? How can you step up that?” May asked, a bit terrified herself.</p>
<p> “Regrettably I don’t think I can pull off anything as huge as that alone. You may have seen the scene at the Qwasa, and I can only tell you that the security will only become tighter from here on out. The Headquarters’ collapse has put many on edge, including the other artists. I’m thinking that another large-scale incident will set them off, but we’ll never know without dipping our feet in the pool.</p>
<p> "So that’s where you come in. You two, Bunk Bed Junction, are the token charm of this revolution, the stars, the crown jewels,” she crossed her arms behind her back- her extra limbs retreating back into nothingness- as she approached one of the many paintings that hung along the polished white walls of the gallery’s long entrance and continued, “What the revolution needs is a distraction. If the press can’t cover it, the artists may not hear about it for at least a day or so.”<br/> “Zuke,” she turned to face him, her focus occasionally flitting to May, “I loathed the idea of you and that rabble-rouser Mayday ever performing as a band, but unlike Tatiana I saw potential in you both.<br/> “So, while we’re both on the same side of this war, do I ask that you two begin to perform publicly.”</p>
<p> ‘<em>While we’re both on the same side of this war’? Ohh that’s a bit alarming, or-, no, REALLY alarming, </em> May thought, her face wearing a dreading expression. <em> And rabble-rouser… I guess I can’t argue that. </em></p>
<p> Zuke bit the inside of his cheek. That was already a bunch of responsibility on their part that Eve had just dropped on their shoulders, but they’d find a way to manage it, surely. “How would just the two of us pull that off though? If you do anything like that again I don’t think just the two of us can pull that off. As much as I wished it would be, rock isn’t big enough anymore to cover headlines.”<br/><br/> “That’s what this revolution is for, though, isn’t it? We <em>want</em> it to be as big as it once formerly was. They will see how hard you’re trying to make it a thing again, and hopefully,” Eve’s voice dropped to a quieter and condescending one, “they’ll never hear a thing.”</p>
<p> May cracked her knuckles, “So just play the guitar all day? You’re really underestimating how easy that is for me, lady,” she chirped, ignoring the exasperated look that earned her from the psydub artist.</p>
<p> “Yes yes, play the guitar, whatever. Just don’t go overboard with it, you under<em>stand</em>?”<br/><br/> “Roger!”</p>
<p> “Good. In that case, I’ll let you two go for the time being, but don’t expect peace and quiet for long. I will need you two for my next plan of action, but until then you can fool around underground or whatever you two do all day.”<br/><br/> Zuke nodded and quickly turned to walk away, but not even two steps away and May snagged the tail end of his suit jacket. “One more question before we head on out; what’s going on with the NSR right now? I saw them carry away Tatiana, but I haven’t heard anything else since,” she asked.</p>
<p> “Tatiana?” Eve glanced from the two to a statue in the back. One of her recent projects had been a golden statue of the CEO, commissioned by nobody other than herself, though it had a bit of sentiment to it. She went on, “Last I heard she arrived in one of the urgent care units and has been in a critical state ever since. For the time being I’ve been placed in charge because I’m her second-hand woman. I don’t know how long it’ll be before my reputation will be tarnished due to the revolution, but it’s all I’ve got to work with so far."</p>
<p> May’s eyes lit up when realization hit her, “So if you’re in charge could you overturn the ban on rock?”</p>
<p> “Unfortunately that’s where the extent of my power ends. I may be in charge, but Tatiana is still alive. In order to reverse her ban I’d need her to either give verbal confirmation or a unanimous agreement from the rest of the top artists. So far, I have neither, in fact, most of the other artists are against the revolt, and I haven’t gotten a chance to speak with them.”<br/><br/> The guitarist’s expression dropped in one of annoyed disappointment as she muttered, “Oh that is real bulldozer… in that case then I guess we’ll leave.” She released her grip on the back of Zuke’s jacket and he resumed to walk out, lips pressed.</p>
<p> “Zuke can go, but I do have one more question for you in particular, Mayday,” Eve spoke, hobbling to a wall where she had put an upper body figure statue up for display as of recently. She placed a hand around its neck, not caring to even look at May.</p>
<p> “Ah-.. alright.” Tension edged her voice. She was none too familiar with the lady, and while Eve was the former bandmate and ex of Zuke, she had known nothing about her up until the night the tower came down. Even then all she had known prior to meeting her was just her eccentric outfit and taste in art.</p>
<p> When the sound of the door closing signalled Zuke had left the building, Eve glanced at May from the corner of her vision, “How exactly did you two meet?”<br/><br/> She was caught off guard by the question. She had half expected to be strangled based on how hostile she acted towards her the entire time they were talking. “Oh uh-” she stammered after a pause.<br/><br/> Eve cut her off seeing her squirm, “Weren’t expecting that I suppose? I saw that look you had. If it makes you feel better, I wouldn’t do anything of that sort while I’m like this,” she gestured to the various bandages across her entire frame.</p>
<p> “In that case, well, uhm it’s a bit of a long story. Not really the meeting part but the actually becoming friends part.”</p>
<p> One end of Eve’s lips twitch and her grip on the statue hardened until it began to shallowly crack. “Very well, I’ll hear it another time then. For now though, <em> get out</em>.”</p>
<p> May didn’t hesitate to follow that demand. She backpedaled before turning and sprinting out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woooo it's out!<br/>School's been killing me so my motivation's slacking</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Quiet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woooooo it's here it took me so many days wooooo lmao</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>  Two years out of highschool, three months since getting an Associate of Fine Arts degree in Music Performance, and May was on the street playing as a hobby. It was a good way to earn some extra money when she wasn’t working a part-time job at Aunty’s food stall, though at most she’d have only ten to twenty dollars on good days. </em>
</p><p><em>  Most importantly though, she wanted to join NSR. Their rise to power had only occurred a few years back when May was close to graduating high school, and their opportunity to help power the city was her claim to fame.<br/></em> <em>  It was also an opportunity to keep the name Kul Fyra alive, her idol and the very person who’d gotten her into performing, her whereabouts unknown since the disbandment of the Goolings a long while back. Her classmates both in high school and college had told her Kul Fyra had skipped town and likely moved on from Vinyl City, but a feeling in May’s gut told her that the once famous guitarist was still around, and a childish passion told her that keeping rock alive might just make her come out of hiding.<br/></em> <em>  Maybe it was harder to ‘keep rock alive’ than she expected, especially as a one-man band. The fall may have begun since the disband, but it was only obvious once NSR formed. </em></p><p><em> The earliest version of NSR didn’t dabble in EDM at first. The top artists and judges of the Lights Up Audition hailed from many different genres. When she was midway through college though, smaller bands and any that performed rock were slowly snuffed out. Those who were determined to stay would be forced to change genre, which would also end in being kicked out when they couldn’t in the short time given.<br/></em> <em>There were those who did adapt though. Yinu’s classical music was a fan among many, and while having to integrate the new-age EDM with piano lost her some fans, it gained her many more.<br/></em><em> She had seen the former artists who had been expelled from the NSR, washed-up and on the streets looking for their last bits of fame before they became like Kul Fyra and faded into obscurity, both from something neither could control; stubborn bandmates, and a stubborn corporation.</em></p><p>
  <em>  Since then, the rest of the current artists fell into the top spots that others once held, others that could never perform as well or who couldn’t find their way through the new genre, and their districts were handed down like family heirlooms from one musician to the other. </em>
</p><p><em> May had it in her head that her performance at the annual Light’s Up Audition in the future would convince everyone that rock was still a thing.</em><em><br/></em>  <em>Maybe it was a childish thought, but that suggested she wasn’t prone to those constantly. There wasn’t any harm in trying, at least.<br/><br/></em></p><p><em>  Playing the guitar came easy and natural for her. She would always make her own covers of the songs the Goolings performed, but it felt lackluster without the other instruments most of them typically had.<br/></em> <em>  That never bothered May, though, she just liked to perform like Kul Fyra did. She loved the way her fingers slid over the fretboard and pushed down against the metal strips, and how the strings fell along her fingernails as she played. She had alternated between a handheld pick, finger picks, and playing with neither because in the end using either felt strange and constraining. It posed its own challenges of course but they never held her back. Her years of playing from the beginnings of high school when she first decided performing was for her, all the way through college. It wasn’t as if she mastered it, but she wasn’t a beginner either. </em></p><p>
  <em><br/> She was finishing up her session and beginning to pack the things she left out, slinging her guitar over her shoulder when somebody called out for her from a distance. </em>
</p><p><em> A guy not much taller than herself in a shirt only slightly darker than his skin that bore a lime hue, and navy blue pants with a lighter patterning akin to jagged herringbone. His cerulean hair stuck out and slicked back behind his head, the only part of it that wasn’t stiff with hair gel, spray, or whatever he used to style it were the ends of it that seemed to bounce with his step.<br/></em><em> “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I just wanted to catch you before you left,” he huffed, slightly out of breath.<br/><br/></em><em> “Nope! I was just about ready to head out. Do I know you?” It wasn’t everyday someone would approach her on the street like that. Most would just make smalltalk between rock out sessions, praising her work or just generally chatting about it, and then leave shortly. The hurried manner of the man wasn’t very typical.<br/><br/> </em><em>“I don’t think you do, unless you saw that one Lights Up broadcast a year or two back.”<br/><br/> </em><em>That rang a bell with her. May watched every one of the auditions since they began. There may not have been many, but there were a bunch of participants every year. The one in particular was just like any other, but she remembered seeing the dude and a much taller woman perform together as the last audition for the day. At the time there were only five judges, and in the end the pair received only approval from two of them and were sent off while the crowd mumbled uneasily.<br/><br/></em><em> “Oh, I know now. Some people say you two were more than eligible and just got cheated out of being accepted.”<br/><br/> </em><em>He rubbed the back of his neck, diverting his gaze to the side, “I dunno, I’ve been told our styles didn’t really mix. Either way we broke off a while ago, that’s not why I’m here. -or actually, yeah, that’s why I’m here. Before I delve into anything deeper, I’m Zuke.”<br/><br/> </em><em>“Oh, hi Zuke!” she chirped, though somewhat uneasy for what she could be getting herself into.<br/><br/> </em><em>A smile cracked at the edges of his lips and he set both hands on the top of the cane he held, which May realized was a pair of drumsticks attached to one another, and leaned against it before he went on, “So since then I’ve just been going place to place to look for a band, but there hasn’t been anyone I know who needs a drummer. I’d perform publicly except just a single drummer isn’t much. Well, guess what I’m trying to say is, do you have a band?”<br/><br/> </em><em>She shook her head. She </em>wished<em>, but like Zuke, nobody would take her. No one wanted a guitarist who performed only rock, they sure were missing out though.<br/><br/> </em><em>He straightened in surprise. Most artists he saw seeking a band never played publicly. Most of the time anyone he saw out was a small band of two to three, a singular person from the former, or just someone who wasn’t looking for anything and just wanted to play. Maybe she wasn’t looking for one either, but regardless he still had to shoot his shot if he didn’t want to end up a drifter. “In that case maybe we-”</em><em><br/><br/></em><em> May cut him off, not hearing him over her own thoughts, “Tell you what, since we’re both bandless, we could perform together sometime to get a feel for it. It’ll attract way more attention than just one person. We might even have some time todayyy-...” she trailed off as she took her phone out of a mysteriously sourced pocket to check the time. A few minutes to eight. Typically she’d keep going beyond that hour, but she hadn’t eaten since lunch and had insisted to herself to keep going a while longer. “On second thought, maybe tomorrow morning? I can’t keep going longer than I have.”<br/><br/> </em><em>“Oh, that’s good,” he mumbled, stewing in defeat. Whatever had happened to confident and straightforward Zuke in that moment he’ll never know.<br/><br/> </em><em>“Great! I’ll see you here tomorrow then.” She packed the rest of her things and slung the guitar over her shoulder and walked off towards the back streets of the city without saying another word.<br/><br/> </em><em>Zuke stood there dumbfounded. Not only had he misfired and couldn’t ask her about forming a band, but now that they’d agreed to meet tomorrow, she never said the time. He typically wasn’t </em>that<em> bad with strangers, so he had to wonder what was up with her that made him so hesitant. He brushed away the awkwardness that hung over him and recollected himself before he too headed off.</em><em><br/></em>  <em>He could probably scrape enough money for a couple more nights in a hotel before he’d have to get a job. He headed back to the same place he’d stayed at last night. Typically every hotel in the main plaza was the highest rated among any in Vinyl City, as they were paid directly by NSR, but one particular one between the plaza and the Cast Tech district was different.</em></p><p>
  <em>  It was hidden in a short wedge of an alley, and just being in the lobby gave way to a mute yet tangy mildew smell. It was shady, that’s for sure, but the only affordable one around. So even if the receptionist spat cigarette smoke in his face and the rooms reeked with a mixture of odors, it was livable. </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em>  May saw the soft light filtering through the grate to the sewer that told her dawn had approached. She had woken up not too long ago and had been lounging on the rickety couch after changing. There wasn’t much she needed to prepare ahead of a gig, usually it was packed in the guitar case she never bothered to use the intended way already, or she’d pick it up on the way. </em>
</p><p><em>  Since the first few years she had ever held a guitar she never liked using the case, rather just carrying the instrument on her back. It made her feel cool, plus the case was then used for whatever it could be in the moment, collecting money, carrying loose items, and anything else that might have popped up in the moment.<br/></em> <em>  Due to her impulsive habit to pack way before she was meant to head somewhere, though, she never made breakfast herself. Her usual breakfast was along the lines of either just a coffee or that and a muffin, banana preferably, that she picked up from the food stall right beside the sewer entrance.<br/></em> <em>  And she ordered exactly that when she climbed out. One coffee with sugar, and two muffins in case Zuke hadn’t eaten anything. She forked over a crumpled bill and stashed the change into the case, and once she was handed the styrofoam cup and paper bag folded at the top, she headed off.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> At the plaza, Zuke was already there and seated on the flat stone barrier that separated the walkways. He spotted her out of the corner of his vision and waved as she rocked up.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “You’re early,” she remarked, sitting down a comfortable distance beside him.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “You never said what time to be here though?”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Touché, but you got here before I did so you’re still early,” a hint of a laugh bubbled in her as she spoke. “We still have some time before things really get in motion, so we can chill for a bit.”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> He nodded and removed his drumsticks from his lap, setting them aside until whenever, wait, did he even ask for her name at all? He tucked a thumb in and tightened his hand over it in frustration at himself until he felt the joint pop, and then relaxed and asked, “While we’re waiting, I never caught your name?”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Oh, I’m Mayday! It was nice to meet ya last night!” she chirped. <br/><br/>  </em> Mayday, huh? Not the kind of name I expected… <em> he thought. It was unusual, but he’d heard worse. He had to guess it was a stage name or something. It wasn’t too uncommon for a performer to have one. Some of NSR’s artists had one, like their most recent addition to the lineup, surrealist Eve. He felt a pang of aching in the back of his heart.<br/>  </em> <em> When he’d heard Nadia auditioning again alone this time, he had immediately turned off the TV. He felt sick thinking about it, and thinking back to how he ran. It was stupid of him, but he couldn’t work up the courage to go back to her and apologize. Maybe one day he’d go back and see her.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> May took note of his silence while they sat there in wait, “Not too talkative are you? Hungry at all? When I’m hungry I become a bit quiet myself.”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Maybe I am…” Zuke lied. He wasn’t hungry, at least not at the moment, but he hadn’t eaten breakfast either aside from a plain coffee so it wasn’t a complete lie.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Well good thing I thought of that then.” She opened the paper bag and took out one of the muffins she’d bought. She handed it to him and he hesitantly took it.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “You sure? It’s no big deal, really.”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “One muffin doesn’t matter to me. I’ve dealt with far worse.” She rolled up the opening of the bag again and set it aside.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> He nearly objected. He almost argued. He had spent so much time drifting from hotel to hotel after his breakup, looking miserable in the process, that he began to dislike handouts. He wanted to toss away the muffin because his mind told him that taking it would be admitting defeat and remind him of those days, but out of kindness and the fact that he would likely end up hungry once his thoughts on Nadia passed, made him reconsider. “Thank you. What are we waiting for anyway?”<br/><br/></em> <em>  “The morning commute, what else?” Whenever May performed that was the one thing that she based her gig timing on. The morning and evening commutes were the real bustle of Vinyl City, and oftentimes the most profitable hours to be around. Half of her daily tips came from just those one or two hours alone, and sometimes if she was really feeling it that day she could go from one commute to the other with a couple breaks. This time around she wanted to see the feedback that they’d garner from having two performers rather than just herself.<br/><br/></em> <em>  So for the time being, they just waited. May couldn’t remember the last time she hung out with a mutual like this without really doing anything. Since college she fell out of contact with anyone she had known from her classes, and really she couldn’t blame them but loneliness was an inevitable feeling that resulted from that.<br/><br/></em> <em>  She propped her hands on the surface of the barrier behind her back and leaned against them, staring up at the sky. The one welcome thing of summers like these was the sunlight that peaked over the buildings at early hours like this.The sky was basked in hues of blue, yellow, and orange, and the beginnings of the sun was threatening to rise and shower the small city in its glow. </em></p><p> </p><p><em>  When it did, though, that was when things got busy. People left their homely apartments and took to the streets, whether they had a job to go to or not. Some like May made use of it to advertise other things, underground gigs, general business, and anything else. Others who knew May waved or nodded at her as they passed, and she returned the greeting.<br/><br/></em> <em>  “Well drummer boy, we’re up.” She zipped open her guitar case and took out a small packet of paper, “I dunno about you, but I’ve memorized most of what I perform. If you need this feel free to use it.” She slid the sheet music his way. Unsaddling her guitar from her back and standing up while Zuke collected himself and did the same.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> When the two of them were in position, May shot Zuke a side-glance and he returned it, his brow tightening and a smile cracking at the edges of his face. Taking it as confirmation that he was ready and droned out the first couple of notes in a deliberate slow measure so he could sync himself up before she went up to a normal pace.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> Things felt like they did yesterday, May found her groove quickly and soon the notes just fell along and became instinct. She glanced at Zuke while in autopilot and watched him perform. She always wondered why he just had drumsticks and no sign of a set with him, and now she saw why. As he jammed with his gaze alternating between the air in front of him and the music sheet beside him, drums appeared out of thin air wherever his drumsticks went. </em> Like an invisible drum set that follows him, <em> May thought.<br/>  </em> <em> Their combined music was something new for her. What was missing in her solo performances was prevalent with Zuke, the supporting beats of another instrument that made the guitar really shine. It was beautiful, that was for sure, and the civilians around them agreed. A small crowd milled around, and anyone that walked past but didn’t stop shot inquisitive glances their way.<br/>  </em> <em> Interlaced with the music was the clattering of coins and swishing of air as the empty guitar case at the two’s feet collected loose change and dollar bills.<br/><br/></em> <em>  As quickly as it began though, it ended. A riff that ended on a hard note with a reverb, and it was over. She was left standing on shaking legs, breathing sharp excited inhales. Her tone and posture immediately reverted back at her usual peppy self as soon as she spoke, “That was great!”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> Zuke straightened up and ran a hand through his hair, “That really was, wasn’t it?” he breathed. He watched the softly applauding crowd slowly disperse, some mumbling their compliments and praise, while others remaining silent. He gave a small wave to the last few. “We made a good pair there.”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Truly, sad that it’s gotta end. I hope you find a band soon enough, you’re pretty good at this whole thing.” She flashed him a supportive smile.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Who says it has to end here though?”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> “Eh?”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> Zuke’s hopeful smile cracked and faltered at her confused response. So much for being sauve, it seemed. He fumbled to quickly recover, “I uh-, er-, what I really meant was we don’t have to part ways here,” he connected his drumsticks again and leaned on it, “maybe we could form a band together?”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> May had to pause to process that question. Bands didn’t exactly form on the spot most times. Oftentimes it was a slow burn of one or more artists consistently interacting or collaborating. She smiled, but the caution in her was quite obvious, “We could. You’d have to be alright with what I have to put up with everyday though.”<br/><br/>  </em> <em> He perked up, “Oh yes! Of course!”<br/><br/><br/>  </em> <em> Descending the sewer ladder and entering the main room, Zuke realized she wasn’t kidding when she’d explained her living conditions on their walk to the sewer. It was a barren looking place and upon seeing it he felt a bit of sympathy.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> She glanced back and gave a double thumbs up, her eyebrows creased nervously, “I promise it isn’t as bad as it looks...” It wouldn’t be the first time someone dropped her after seeing her living conditions, but hopefully it wouldn’t be the last time.<br/>  </em> <em> To her surprise though, he chuckled, “I’ll fix it up a bit.”<br/><br/></em> <em>  It’d be a rough couple of weeks from here on out, but Zuke would once again know what it was like to live with a very openly eccentric person, but this time a different type of eccentric. </em></p><p><br/><br/><em>  Months tick by, and one night Zuke sat up in bed, a flashlight nestled in the crook of his neck while a book rested on his thighs. In the midst of his reading something came back to him.<br/>  </em> <em> What made him want to be in May’s band so badly that one particular day they met? He wasn’t the kind of person to be so openly talkative to people, in fact he only ever spoke if he absolutely had to around strangers.<br/>  </em> <em> Something made him really interested in her, and he didn’t like the feeling. He flicked off the flashlight and rolled it back under his bunk and stuffed the book beside it. He rolled over, pulling a heavy comforter over himself to block out the chill of the setting in winter. The bed occasionally shuddered or creaked as May, long asleep, shifted around.<br/><br/>  </em> <em> He told himself he didn’t like this feeling but deep down that felt inaccurate. </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p><br/>May exited the building in a hurry and saw Zuke leaning against the wall of the gallery not too far away, inspecting his nails. He saw her and tilted his head in her direction, “That was fast. What did she ask you.” He pushed himself away from the wall and fell in beside her as they walked off.<br/><br/> “Nothing bad, just how we met.”<br/><br/>A wistful exhale escaped him, “Doesn’t feel too long ago does it?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Today Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “You ever wish things were like how they were back then?” May asked, arms crossed as they stood in front of the Divanci Cafe.<br/>
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 She’d begged Zuke to stop somewhere to eat, not because she was hungry, but because she wanted to talk. Admittedly she was a bit hungry, after all she hadn’t eaten anything since she woke up, but with everything that was going on worry had begun to stew in her.<br/>
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 “Not really if you mean a year ago ‘back then,’ but I definitely wish these past two days hadn’t happened,” he muttered while inspecting the laminated menu framed beside the door, drifting his index finger under each option.<br/>
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 She winced. “Yeah, I get that. If you wanna talk about it I am here, always.”<br/>
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 He smiled painfully but didn’t say anything else. After a moment he spoke, “Ok no we’re going elsewhere. I’m not paying thirty dollars for an artistically arranged plate of chicken.”<br/>
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 That was understandable, May was never a fan of those kinds of restaurants anyway. Presentation was not her thing with food, why spend that much time making it look good when in the end it’d get scarfed down. “So where else then?” she asked him.<br/>
<br/>
 All she got in response was a shrug. He didn’t have any preference for where to eat, as long as it wasn’t ridiculously overpriced.<br/>
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 “Guess we’re checking out the next district then.”</p><p> </p><p> Metro District, a funky place for funky people. Zuke was not a fan of it mainly because of its record holders, but he had to admit it was a respectable place.<br/>
 Aside from the occasional flooding, of course.<br/>
<br/>
 Zuke never knew how, but Vinyl City was prone to floods with little reliable means on how to prevent them aside from just draining them. A couple days ago one of the drain pipes had burst and so that was still in the process of being drained. Puddles of brackish water stagnated in the streets, but nobody really took notice. It was a typical event after all, and NSR didn’t seem to care too much to do anything beyond installing new pipes.<br/>
<br/>
 Cleaner bots were milling around the puddles, sweeping them up while droning the same music they do everyday. They were a welcome sight when the Metro District was still new and small, back in the days when 1010 wasn’t in control of it yet, but now that they were everywhere and floods seemed as constant as blackouts had been, they were rather annoying.<br/>
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 As they walked past, though, Zuke took notice of their inactivity. He held up a hand to May for her to stop, and inspected the closest one.<br/>
<br/>
<em>  It’s dead, </em> he thought. It had run out of power long ago with no station to recharge. It was honestly quite sad seeing them like that. There wasn’t anything 1010 could do about it either unless they had a generator of their own like Eve does.<br/>
<br/>
 “You’d think they’d have figured something out by now,” May speculated, standing beside Zuke and leaning forward to peer at the pathetic machinations of a former era.<br/>
<br/>
 “I have a feeling they already have. Blackouts affect this district the heaviest, so that was probably their priority when the tower collapsed,” he glanced up at the LED adverts scattered around the district, now just blackened screens. Despite it rarely having been shown, even at the judge’s stand in the auditorium where the auditions took place, there was someone behind these uncanny robots. <em> There’s no way they would just let robots control an entire division with no failsafe... right?<br/>
<br/>
</em>  “We don’t have to eat out, you know. I could just make something back home if it makes you feel any better,” May suggested. It’d feel weird to be sitting in a mostly darkened restaurant illuminated by candles, oil lamps, or any battery powered source.<br/>
<br/>
 Zuke paused to think about it. May was not a great cook. If he agreed his lunch would probably end up being something microwaveable. It was better than nothing, though. At the same time, he didn’t want to overwork her. He shook his head, “No, let’s try Natura.”<br/>
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 She wanted to argue it. She’d rather prepare something lackluster than have to drag him around in his time of need. She bit her tongue for the time being.</p><p> </p><p> The Natura district felt as alive as it’d always be. Living up to its name, there was no spot or scene within it that was without flora covering it. Even in the midst of the ongoing blackout it felt almost normal here. May inhaled deeply and tugged on her choker slightly, letting the breath escape her slowly while her preoccupied mind stewed with thoughts.<br/>
<br/>
 When Zuke stopped at the Leaf Cafe, his brow furrowed while he stared up at its logo that bore semblance to what he thought was an outline of the planet and a leaf on the inside next to the name. <em> I can’t tell if there’s even supposed to be a pun or a play on words here… it’s just leaf.<br/>
<br/>
</em>  His thoughts were interrupted by May, who had not let go of her worries since they’d arrived in the district. She laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it affirmingly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”<br/>
<br/>
 “Yes, May-”<br/>
<br/>
 “I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on you by-”<br/>
<br/>
 “ <em> May- </em> ”<br/>
<br/>
 “Seriously dude,-<br/>
<br/>
 “ <b> <em>May</em> </b> ,” Zuke grabbed a hold of her arm before she could go on. He drew her in until they were face-to-face, and at that point May noticed tears that danced at the corners of his eyes and threatened to cascade down his face. “You already know my answer. Please don’t bend over backwards for me, for the love of Pete. I’m more than happy to sit in a restaurant with you all day if it means you aren’t throwing yourself away just because I’m upset.<br/>
 "I don’t want you to do this to yourself, especially when you were almost all I had left. I don’t want what almost happened to Eve happen to you because of me, no matter what's at stake.”<br/>
<br/>
 She was silenced, her face flushed red. For a moment, neither of them moved, neither of them wanted to be the first to break away.<br/>
<br/>
 Zuke stared at her, his neck began to burn as something deep down told him to lean in further. Before he could give in, he wrapped his arms around and hugged her, wiping the tears from his eyes with a hand while she couldn’t see his face.<br/>
<br/>
 After a couple moments, he felt her hands begin to slip from his back, and he let go. He rubbed the back of his neck, “Please, just don’t overwork yourself,” he murmured, avoiding her gaze.<br/>
<br/>
 May nodded and stepped forward. “Let’s just eat here. Natura’s a pretty level-headed district, enough to not overcharge.”<br/>
<br/>
 The inside was somewhat gloomy, without any lights besides the sunbeams that streamed through the windows, it felt dreary to be anywhere but up against the walls. To counteract that, candles speckled the shelves and tabletops; the young flames twirling to their own desire. A tall waitress seated them and for a while neither of them said anything, their faces traced with the warm glow of the candle.</p><p> Zuke propped his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. “I’m… sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that,” he murmured, staring at the menu laid down in front of him to give him a reason not to return her gaze.<br/>
<br/>
 “It’s fine, I know you’re stressed,” she smiled sympathetically in reply. A part of her ached seeing her friend hurt like this, but offering support didn’t feel like enough. <em> Is it really just that? </em> she thought, reflecting back on what he said to her outside the cafe. She wanted to ask, that was why she dragged him down here after all, but it was an awkward and scary topic to approach.<br/>
<br/>
 After a couple of minutes she felt a pair of eyes on her now and she looked up at Zuke.<br/>
<br/>
 He was much more relaxed than he was when they first sat down, and he scratched an itch behind his ear to give his hand something to do. “So I take it you want to go over what just happened?”<br/>
<br/>
 She nodded. “And maybe just talk about things happening around here in general, and your wellbeing.”<br/>
<br/>
 He chuckled avoidantly. “You don’t have to devote your time to me. It’s no big deal, really.”<br/>
<br/>
 “You thought your ex died only for it to be revealed that she isn’t, and now we’re in the middle of her revolutionary scheme. I want to know what you’d consider a big deal if that isn’t.”<br/>
<br/>
 Zuke winced and shifted his hand to the side of his neck, squeezing it slightly. “When you put it like that it sounds way worse…” he murmured.<br/>
<br/>
 “Because it was already bad to begin with.”<br/>
<br/>
 “Er… well, yeah. I dunno, after yesterday and today, it just feels difficult to vent. So much has happened that I’m used to that feeling of grief gnawing in me.”<br/>
<br/>
 She was about to respond when the tall waitress returned. Oblivious to the conversation, they set down two glasses of water, “What would you two like to drink?”<br/>
<br/>
 May smiled awkwardly. “I’ll just take the water,” she answered.<br/>
<br/>
 “A mojito for me.” His voice was stark, completely changed from the vulnerable and slightly wavering tone he had used just moments prior, “Double the rum, please.”<br/>
<br/>
 The waitress raised their eyebrows but said nothing as they wrote down the order on their notepad. “Are you two ready to order anything yet?”<br/>
<br/>
 May met his gaze briefly, and then shook her head. “Maybe in a few.”<br/>
<br/>
 Without another word they smiled and nodded, turning back to the kitchen and leaving the two alone in their awkward silence.<br/>
<br/>
 May took a moment to process the order and jolted, <em> Damn, they have mojitos here? </em> She thought, flipping over the menu to the alcohol section. Sure enough, there it was. She had expected it to have been a bit classier here, but she wasn’t exactly one to be judging that kind of stuff.<br/>
<br/>
 Concern overtook her quite quickly then the more she thought about it though, “Aren’t you a lightweight?” she asked Zuke with a slight grimace.<br/>
<br/>
 He nodded, pain coursing through his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
 “Then why?”<br/>
<br/>
 “I don’t know why you’re asking that, May,” he mumbled, covering his face with a hand and pinching the bridge of his nose, “Hasn’t the gravity of the situation we’re in the middle of set in for you?”<br/>
<br/>
 She hesitated right before any words could leave her mouth. It really hadn’t, yet. All throughout yesterday afternoon and this morning she hadn’t given it any space to really settle in. She knew what was going on, but never let it go beyond superficial knowledge and lighthearted jabs about it. This was <em> real </em> , and it wasn’t just their own lives at stake here, but the entirety of Vinyl City for all they knew. Their talk with Eve had left a horrible taste in her mouth, one that told her that the collapse of the NSR headquarters wasn’t the last extremist stunt she’d pull, nor would it be the worst.<br/>
<br/>
 Her gaze dropped as what was going to be a retort escaped more so a stammer, “I’m just riding the motions.”<br/>
<br/>
 “Yeah, I’m surprised <em> you’re </em> the one drinking water, of all times.”<br/>
<br/>
 “I don’t really like to drink away my problems, though,” her sights drifted out the window and she went on, “This isn’t something you can drown out.”<br/>
<br/>
 He paused, following her gaze. The emptiness of Natura rang ever-clearer with the topic at hand. He wished he had May’s almost nonchalant attitude like she did right now, like he could curl up in bed and sleep knowing tomorrow would be normal.<br/>
<br/>
 But there was no normal now, and at that point he was snapped out of his thoughts by the light clinking of ice against glass and the tap of the waitress setting the drink down. It was a welcome distraction to say the least.<br/>
<br/>
 The glass in front of him, heaped with mint leaves, lime, and ice, clouded with the fog of alcohol. Swirls like whiskey seemed to dance in the liquid and dissipate out of view. He raised the glass to his lips and leaned back, glancing back at May from the edge of his vision.<br/>
<br/>
 She had propped her elbows on the table, one hand holding up her head as she leaned on that arm. Her attention was still elsewhere beyond the cafe, far out in the district. She brought herself back to reality momentarily as thoughts of their current situation crossed her mind.<br/>
<br/>
 “You know, my offer still stands.”<br/>
<br/>
 “Huh?”<br/>
<br/>
 She had barely moved from her current position, with her gaze, such filled with a haze of positive and negative emotions, settled on her compadre. “The one from earlier today, you know? I gave you the choice of staying home while I went to Evenfall Gallery alone, but you turned it down. Whatever reason you had for doing so obviously didn’t work out in your favor, and I don’t need ya to further hurt yourself like this.” She paused, trying to remember what exactly it was he had said, and what he was going to say, “I can handle myself, trust me.”<br/>
<br/>
 Half of the glass was drained by the time he set it down, the tang still fresh on his tongue. He wanted so badly to fight her words and to talk her out of it but he knew he couldn’t do so unless he was calm. Anything of emotion that’d leave him now would be reflected in his tears. He sucked in a breath and felt it slip away as he mumbled his surrender, “Sure, please do,” and in a much quieter voice he added on, “but I’m not sure if I can trust that.”<br/>
<br/>
 She could hear the mumble but could make out no words from it, but she knew it was better to not press on it. It wasn’t worth it, at least not in public anyway. <em> It’ll wait till tomorrow, I won’t have a chance to ask him after this, </em> she thought, staring at him. Zuke was nowhere near the idea of being one to drink, and she was aware of this when he requested the double-strength mojito. He’d get inebriated, fast.<br/>
<br/>
 There wouldn’t be <em> any </em> talking to him soon enough. For the time being she drew her hand down and folded her arms on the table. “We’ll just go back to the sewers and call it a night from there, capisce?”<br/>
<br/>
 He nodded, “Yep, all clear.” He flashed a smile that was crooked at the edges, but it was difficult to tell what from.</p><p> </p><p> May pressed her glass against her hands, letting the cold condensation seep in to her palms. The events of the morning were still fresh on her mind ever since they left the gallery, but until now she hadn’t had the time to think on them.<br/>
<br/>
 An unlikely resurrection, and then the odd barricade set up around the Qwasa. Something was going on behind the scenes that she couldn’t fathom. If she had to guess, the tower’s collapse had affected the odd machination. On the other hand, the guards were just there to watch for another attack, but it didn’t explain the curtain surrounding it all too well.<br/>
 Then came thoughts of the tower, and the news that morning. How could any normal person have survived that? Eve certainly wasn’t normal, that’s for certain, but the only thing that may have crossed May’s mind when it came to Tatiana was that odd taste in her mouth and strange reminiscence that the CEO left with her at the thought.<br/>
 Then, of course, there was Eve. That woman left a seed of worry in her gut that was harder to shake than she’d hoped. A part of her almost regretted taking up the offer to go back to the gallery alone, but better her than Zuke.<br/>
<br/>
 And maybe he was thinking the same thing, as after a great deal of silence he spoke up, his gaze shakily centered on the base of the table’s candleholder, “Did she say… or do, I guess, anything weird when you answered her question?”<br/>
<br/>
 “Question? Oh wait, that,” May shook her head, “Nothing out of the ordinary. She was still outwardly hostile when you left,” she answered. The poison in her eyes was rather unforgettable.<br/>
<br/>
 He fell silent again. His mind was slowly growing hazy, sooner than he’d hoped. The now emptied glass of his was set aside haphazardly, laid a little too close to the edge of the table. The question struck him as odd, but if he had to be reasonable, he’d guess that there was a jealous motive behind it. <em> Nothing too serious, just yet. </em></p><p> </p><p> As May’s thoughts began to wander again, the waitress from earlier arrived back at their table, notepad in hand, “Are you two ready to order any food?”<br/>
<br/>
 Surprisingly, her appetite hadn’t soured yet from the discussion. She snuck a glance at Zuke and nodded after seeing no outward disagreement.<br/>
<br/>
 “Alright then! What would you two like this afternoon? We have a couple’s deal for t— ”<br/>
<br/>
 “Whoa whoa whoa, wait,” May interjected, red in the face, “we are <em> not </em> a couple, just buds.”<br/>
<br/>
 “Oh right, I apologize ma’am. Either way, what would you two like?”<br/>
<br/>
 “Just focaccia for me,” she answered.<br/>
<br/>
 “A ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, toasted,” Zuke mumbled.<br/>
<br/>
 “Great choices, may I have your menus now?”<br/>
<br/>
 They left after taking the menus, and once again there was an awkward silence in the air between the two, aside from the faint noises of the cafe around them.<br/>
<br/>
 May stared in to her drink, her eyebrows pulling down slightly in her embarrassment. <em> A couple… that’s the first time anyone ever thought we were something like that, </em> she thought. Looking up at Zuke, she saw that he didn’t appear all too affected by that situation, but that was implying he even heard or was listening in. His gaze was distant as he stared up at the ceiling.<br/>
She hadn’t ever thought of being with him in that way, or with anyone, for that matter. It just never crossed her mind like it did with everyone else as she grew up.<br/>
<br/>
 It lingered in her mind though, and her gaze drifted to the window. The streets were still as empty as they were when they entered the district, but now a stiff breeze had begun to ruffle the foliage. Something felt amiss, but she couldn’t tell what.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So my writing process is 10% writing, 90% deciding a title, and .2 seconds proofreading</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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